Hanoi (VNA) - Indonesia on July 3 logged a record daily number of COVID-19 cases, at 27,913, while Laos saw a downward trend inthe number of domestic infections and Malaysia planned to ease lockdownmeasures.

Indonesia’s record daily spike pushed its national tally to 2,256,851, the country’sHealth Ministry said, adding that the COVID-19-related death toll also added by493 to 60,027 on the day.

Indonesian health officials projected the number of cases tocontinue to increase for the next two weeks until the restriction measuresapplied for more than 100 million people from July 3 begin to work.

The country has to date vaccinated about 7.6 percent of the 181.5million people it targeted to inoculate prior to January.

Meanwhile, the Lao Ministry of Health logged 37 new cases,including just one local one, on the same day, raising the national tally to 2,213.Its capital Vientiane, a pandemic hotspot, recorded no domestic infections forthe fourth consecutive day.

The ministry said although the number of cases in the community tends todecrease, the country is still facing the risk of infection with new variantsof the virus.

As planned, Laos will import enough doses to vaccinate 50percent of its population this year.

Malaysia will relax coronavirus lockdown measures next week in fivestates that have met the government’s indicators for lifting curbs, securityminister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on July 3.

The Southeast Asian country has been under a nationwidelockdown since June 1 to rein in a surge of COVID-19 infections. Curbs are tobe partially lifted in the states of Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, andTerengganu on July 5 as they have achieved their targets for moving to thesecond phase of lockdown, the minister told reporters.

On July 3, Malaysia posted 6,658 new COVID-19 infections, raising its total to772,607 with 5,327 deaths./.